A Teacher is like a Tree By

Nicole Beingessner

Nicole Beingessner EDES 301 – Julia Rheume

September 25, 2012 Philosophy of Teaching

Teachers represent the Trunk of the Tree and Students represent the Branches. The branches grow from the trunk and without the trunk; the branches would cease to exist…

… A good teacher knows that the only way for students to succeed is through the support and guidance of the teacher.

A tree depends on the sun to grow, soil for nutrients, and water for hydration…

… A good teacher knows that she will need the support and guidance of others and is not afraid to ask when it is needed.

When there is stormy weather, a tree may drip and sag, but the benefits of the water make the tree grow bigger and stronger…

… A good teacher is able to recognize that bad or sticky situations are learning opportunities and

work to grow and learn from each and every one of them.

Trunks bring nutrients from the ground to the branches to help them grow and strengthen when they are weak…

… A good teacher allows for mistake and continues to encourage goodness and hard work in her students and help nurture them in their growing periods.

The trunk of the tree supports the branches as they grow to produce leaves, flowers, and fruit…

… A good teacher allows students to take time in understanding, and knowing concepts so that they may apply them in real life and create new things based on what they’ve learned. They work hard to make sure all students reach each level of Blooms

Taxonomy.

Not all branches will grow as high or as fast as others, but each branch is just a part of the big picture as any other…

… A good teacher knows not everyone grows at the same rate and takes time with each student to

encourage greatness in each of his or her own abilities. Differentiated Instruction is a key

element in any good teacher’s teaching approach.

Not all branches will grow fruit and produce leaves, some take time to grow stronger and independent, while others will provide fruit a plenty…

… A good teacher is welcoming of all students and all abilities and works hard to nurture the

individual abilities of each of her students. A good teacher teaches to each of the Multiple

Intelligences.

A tree can be trimmed and nourished through the help of others and will sometimes need to depend

on people to help it grow tall and strong…

… A good teacher allows for the input of others and is always willing to make improvement and

accept constructive criticism.

As a tree grows, all the branches grow from the trunk and are connected to the trunk, this creates passageways for water and nutrients to flow freely from the branches to the trunk and from the trunk to the branches…

… A good teacher keeps the lines of communication open between her and her

students and allows for the voice of her students to be heard and be ready to learn and grow from her

students as well.

Leaves will fall at the end of the year and the branches will become bare, but the tree as a whole is much stronger and bigger than at the beginning of spring, and will be ready to grow again in the following year…

… A good teacher will take her experiences, good or bad, and learn from them so when she returns for the next year, she will be more prepared and much more skilled than when she began her first

year.

The End